How to use Google files

How to Free Up Storage Space on Your Android Phone with Files by Google

• Joe Fedewa

  @tallshmo

If your Android phone doesnt have a lot of storage space, it can be a constant struggle to remove old junk and make room for new pictures, videos, and apps.Googles Files app has a handy tool to make this process easy.

Files by Google is preinstalled on some Android phones, but anyone can download it from the Play Store. One handy feature that sets it apart from other file managers is its cleaning recommendations. It identifies things that can be removed from your phone to free up storage space.

To get started, download and install Files by Googleon your Android phone or tablet.

If this is your first time using Files by Google, youll be asked to agree to Googles Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Tap Continue to proceed if you agree.

To allow the Files app to access your files, tap Allow in the permissions popup.

With that out of the way, you can start freeing up storage space. Tap Clean at the bottom.

At the top of the page, youll see how much storage space youre using. Underneath, Google will automatically suggest files you can delete to free up storage space. Common examples are screenshots, duplicate files, and photos that are already backed up to Google Photos.

Each of the following categories will have one of three possible buttons, and they perform slightly different actions:

• Confirm and Free Up (X) MB:Where (X) is the amount of space. Tap this to open a popup and clean right away without reviewing the files first.
• Select and Free Up (X) MB:Where (X) is the amount of space. Tap this to jump straight to the review screen, where you can select the files you want to remove.
• Free Up (X) MB:Where (X) is the amount of space. This action is specifically for Google Photos. Google will suggest removing any photos on your device that have been backed up. Tap this to go to the Google Photos app, where you can choose to free up space.

For our example, we tap Select and Free Up (X) MB from the category we want to clean up.

We see a list of files Google suggests removing. In the Duplicate Files category, original files are indicated by a bookmark icon in the bottom left corner.

We select all the files we want to remove, and then tap Delete.

If you select original files in the Duplicate Files category, youll be asked to confirm your choice; tap Continue to proceed.

Youll be asked once again to confirm your choices. Tap Delete to permanently remove the files.

If you want to clean up a category quickly, tap Confirm and Free Up (X) MB (where X is the amount of space) to skip selecting each file individually.

Tap Cleanto remove the files without reviewing them.

To review files before removing them, tap See Junk Files.

Select all the items you want to remove (or tap All Items at the top of the screen), and then tap Clean when youre done.

A pop-up message will ask you to confirm your choice. Tap Clear to proceed.

Thats it! You can repeat these same steps for any of the categories on the Clean tab. The app might periodically recommend freeing up space, as well.